


Tree Trimming with Spike

by spikesgirl58



Series: 14 days of Christmas [9]
Category: Addams Family - All Media Types, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:08:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28149606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spikesgirl58/pseuds/spikesgirl58
Summary: Trimming a Christmas tree is always more fun with a friend!
Series: 14 days of Christmas [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2050131
Comments: 10
Kudos: 16





	Tree Trimming with Spike

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sidhe_uaine42](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Sidhe_uaine42).



This was truly a magical time of the year and Morticia Addams fairly danced around the bare branches of the Christmas tree. Gomez had done a perfect job of removing its needles, except for a few. It wasn’t Christmas until you had a pine needle stabbing the insole of a foot. She took a black glass ornament from the box, making sure the broken side faced out. Her reflection, twisted and distorted, smiled back at her.

Outside, the snow was coming down in great fat flakes and the radio had promised a blizzard by the evening. What could make her holiday better?

Morticia sighed then. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to have had a little help. Of course, she could summon Lurch, but he was busy helping the children wrap presents. When last she looked, he was entertaining one end of a snake while the children wrapped the other. Interrupting them wouldn’t do.

Gomez was out doing some last minute shopping and Grandmamma was busy cooking delicacies for their feast. Even Thing was busy tending to the gramophone to provide everyone with holiday-inspired music. Every scratch and skip was music to her ears.

That left her. Morticia reached for another decoration, pausing as she studied the large spider as it scurried up her arm and she smiled sweetly at it. “Hello, my little friend. Anywhere you like.” The spider moved from her hand onto a branch and began to spin a web.

The gold scorpion, a keepsake ornament hailing from the Egyptian Addams, caught the glow of the firelight.

Morticia thought back to when the children would fight over who got to put the vulture on the top of the tree. She missed the days when they would build up a bonfire in the chimney, threatening them all with a certain death by fire, just to make sure Santa felt welcomed.

There was a knock at the door and she sighed. Perhaps it was Cousin Itt or even her sister, Ophelia. She was hungry for company.

“I’ll get it, Lurch,” she called and was rewarded by a muffled groan. She opened the door and peered around it. 

“Cousin Spike!” The vampire, his shoulders covered with snow, stamped his feet to clean them off. “Do come in!”

“Merry Christmas, Luv.” He got in and looked back over his shoulder as if expecting to be followed. “Quite a storm out there.”

“Well, you are home now. We have your crypt ready for you!”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to put you out.” Spike took off his duster and shook the snow from it. Demon blood, acid, you name it and it was fine. Get it wet and it smelled like cats had pissed all over it. He learned this years ago. He hung it by the door and spun to grab Morticia in a bear hug.

She squealed in painful delight and he let her go. “How is it that you are still unmarried, dear?” Morticia took a careful breath. Nothing seemed broken. “You have so much to offer.”

“Well, most birds don’t appreciate a well-decorated crypt.” He followed her into the living room, remembering to not step on the rug. He’d had an ankle full of polar bear last time and his Doc Martins still bore the holes.

“The younger generation, they don’t appreciate tradition.” Morticia glided back to the partially decorated tree.

“Speaking of tradition, I like your decorations. Makes me want to burst into song.” He successfully navigated the home furnishing and handed her an ornament.

“Hold that thought and you can help us pour hot oil on the carolers tonight.”

Spike grinned at the mental image. “That’s what I like about you folks. You know how to have fun!” He held up a paper chain made from parking violations. “Speaking of such, where is everyone?”

Morticia’s face grew sad, her features pained against her pale skin. “This close to the holidays, they all have their little tasks and I am left alone.”

“And leaving all the heavy lifting to you. No matter what, family is family…” Spike rummaged around the box and found a gray matter octopus.

“Oh, how Pugsley loved this as a child. He chewed on every leg.”

“I can still see the marks.” He held up a guillotine. “And this?”

Morticia adjusted the blade and let it drop. “Quite useful on fingers as poor Uncle Hymie discovered.”

“You mean Cousin Six-Finger Hymie?”

“That’s the one. He just couldn’t resist,” Morticia said, opening up a small case. “We kept a few of them. The children can never resist playing, “Hide the Thumb. We only just found the right one this summer. Those little imps”

Spike grimaced as a shriveled finger was hung on a branch. “Where are they? The kids? ”

“On a top secret mission with Lurch to wrap presents. It’s always an adventure. Last year they wrapped Lurch and we didn’t find him until Christmas Day.” There was an explosion, literally, of noise and the children appeared, smudged with soot and slighting smoking.

“Mother, will you please tell your son that certain objects are designed to be left apart until the proper moment.”

“She said, whatever you do, don’t touch these two wires together.”

“And you did.” Wednesday’s expression would have chilled blood, if Spike had any left to chill. “Now the surprise is ruined.”

“Children, look who’s arrived.” Morticia had been blocking him from their view and now she stepped aside.

Shouts of “Cousin Spike!” made the vampire grin. He knelt and held his arms open. Both ran to him, laughing, the explosion now forgotten.

“Hey, you little neck biters!”

“Do it, Spike!”

“Yes, do it!”

“Children, Spike is our guest.”

“You mean, this?” He morphed into his game face and both children squealed with delight. 

“Will you teach me that, Spike?” Pugsley asked. “I bet I could even get out of algebra with that.

“Pugsley Addams!” Morticia was mortified. “That is what the rats are for.”

“Yes, Mother.” Pugsley sobered and kicked the rug.

“When you are a bit older, I’ll show you a trick.” Spike morphed back to his regular face. “Gets the girls every time!”

“Excellent!” Pugsley rubbed his hands together. “I want to be a ladies man like Uncle Fester.”

Morticia glided to his side and smeared the soot on his face a bit more. “Speaking of such, have you seen your uncle?”

“He’s in the kitchen, helping Grandmamma with her batwing cookies.” Wednesday sounded laden with ennui, but her eyes glistened at the thought of the special treats.

“Why don’t you two help your cousin with the tree and I will see about some refreshments?” Morticia reached for a noose and pulled it.

The house shook from the thundering gong and the butler, his head festooned with brightly colored bows appeared.

“You rang?”

“Yes, Lurch, Cousin Spike has arrived. Will you see that his room is ready?”

“I don’t want to put you out or anything.” The look on Spike’s face told the opposite story.

“Nonsense. We never turn family away.”

She hurried to the kitchen, nearly colliding with her husband as she did. “Gomez, when did you get back?”

The man managed to look suave and nervous at the same time as he attempted to conceal a box from view. “Oh, just now.”

“Well, Cousin Spike is in the front room helping the children with the tree.”

“Spike’s here? Jolly good. I think I’ll just go say hello to him.” He slid by her and Morticia smiled slyly.

“ _Mais oui_.” She could see the conflict in his eyes as he battled his inner passion against his desire to keep her gift from view. The agony was a thing of beauty to watch. She was sure Gomez would make her pay tonight… or at least she hoped he would.

The smells coming from the kitchen were mouthwatering. “Grandmamma, Cousin Spike is here. I’m going to make some tea.”

“Cousin Spike? Oh, boy!” Fester was off like a shot.

“There’s fresh witch hazel in the blue jar. That should put a kick in it. And I stocked up on some Type A, as a special treat.”

“Dearest Grandmamma,” Morticia said, stroking her brittle gray hair. “You ARE a sentimental softie.”

Grandmamma chuckled. “I’m old, I ain’t dead.” She filled a platter with a dozen different types of cookies and hurried away. 

Suddenly, Morticia was alone again. She assembled the tea tray and rang the gong. Lurch appeared and she gestured to the tray. “Would you be so kind, Lurch?”

The answering rumble could have meant anything, but he picked up the tray and left. Morticia hesitated for just a moment, then snatched herself a piping hot cookie. It burned her hand and scorched her mouth all the way back to the front room.

The she stopped. Her family was gathered around the tree, hanging ornaments, laughing and talking excitedly. Spike glanced over at her as he draped his jacket about the base of the tree.

 _Thank you_ he mouthed and she beamed for at this time of the year, family was everything.


End file.
